The following design principles are used by graphic professionals to create attractive, high impact signage that is readable, appealing to the eye and carries the most impact:
Keep it visible and legible. Less really is more. By keeping your message short, your outdoor signage design is easier to see and read at a glance. Signs come in every shape and size, so make sure you have chosen a size that is appropriate for the distance you expect your outdoor signage designor display to be viewed from. Consider where it will be located and what obstacles may be in the way. Visibility is the most important part of your signage.
Avoid clutter. Successful signage communicates a message concisely. The message should be conveyed in as few words as possible to your target audience. Crowding your sign with too many words or lines of text makes it harder to read from a distance.
“White-space” is the area of a design that is left uncovered by either text or graphics (white space can be color). The empty space surrounding text and graphics is just as important as other design considerations.
Type and fonts. In general, clean, crisp, easy-to-read type styles should be used for maximum legibility. Most professional fonts have varying weights, ranging from regular to bold, black, extended, etc. Use these to your advantage by giving priority or preference to certain parts of your message.
There is a misconception that exists that since ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are “larger” than lower case letters, they must be easier to read from a distance. However, visual tests have concluded that Upper And Lower Case Text is more legible from a distance than all upper case letters. Since viewers may only have a few seconds to get your message, increase the readability of your outdoor signage design by not over using capital letters.